Corps continues work on beaches

By Ryan Mavity | Oct 04, 2013

Photo by: Ryan Mavity

Dewey Beach — The United States government may be shut down, but work continues for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, who are repairing Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach.

Corps spokesman Steve Rochette said since the contract has already been awarded, work would be unaffected by the federal shut down. Excavators, bulldozers and a mobile surveying tower, shown above, were at Dickinson and Read streets in Dewey. Dredge work for the whole project is expected to be completed in the next three to four weeks, Rochette said, repairing damages to the beaches caused by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.

The project is 100 percent funded by $60 million in federal emergency aid approved by Congress in January. Of that, $19 million was allocated to repair beaches in Fenwick Island, South Bethany, Bethany Beach, Dewey and Rehoboth. Great Lakes will pump 455,000 cubic yards of sand onto Dewey and Rehoboth.

The corps has separate contracts for beach repair in Lewes and at Indian River Inlet.